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Question of the Week

Question of the Week: what's the one thing you would change about electric cars?

The lack of noise? The dismissal of three pedals and a stick? The comments section is your canvas: go go go!

Published: 13 May 2024

Before you make your way to the comments section to bludgeon all of the world’s electric cars, it’s worth considering what they have brought to the automotive industry. They’ve proven that humanity can move on from the internal combustion engine - even if many don’t want to - and forced manufacturers to ramp up their tech stations and how efficient their cars can be. 

Having said that, there are of course still many things that we’ll miss if (or when) manufacturers walk away from internal combustion for good. 

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For starters there's the range and charging times of EVs. That's obvious, but what about things like the aural experience? While manufacturers like Abarth and Hyundai are working hard on artificial sound - which will surely improve moving forward - the orchestra of a naturally aspirated V12, the shrill scream of a V10 or the hammering blow of a V8 will take time to reconstruct more naturally and vividly. If indeed anyone can.

Then there’s the actual mechanical involvement; having no manual gearbox means drivers are far less connected with the engineering. And the suite of driver aids and drift mode systems onboard some performance EVs means the car will practically do dramatic skids for you.

There’s even an argument to be had about interiors, where manufacturers are increasingly turning towards cramming most vehicular functions into the infotainment screen. Not necessarily a result of the powertrain, but definitely something that many EVs are affected by. 

So, we want to know what one thing you would change about electric cars in the future. Please feel free to make your answer as detailed as possible, and as usual we'll publish the best responses at the end of the week.

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